Knights of Columbus #5

Issue 5: “All Tomorrow’s Parties, Conclusion: Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”

PAGE ONE

“Previously” page.

PAGE TWO

1/ full page image of Rhiannon, floating through a black void in the fetal position. She is positioned in the upper-left hand corner of the page, and in the lower-right hand corner is a glowing orb, pulsating with blue, black, and white energy. From it emanates spikes of warm light, like a star seen from a distance or a Christmas light seen through squinted eyes. With one arm, Rhiannon reaches out to the orb, stretching with all her might. Inset against this image are three inlaid panels, small images, floating in the void.. The first is a close up on Rhiannon’s eyes, as she looks toward the orb with a childlike mixture of wonder and fear. The second shows Rhiannon’s arm, reaching out toward the orb. The third shows Rhiannon’s hand, closing in on the orb as it enters the lower corner of the panel.

CAPTION (RHI): It’s cold, when you’re nowhere.
CAPTION: That’s what always hits me first.

CAPTION: You’d think it would be WARM, when you step outside yourself and let the realm of INTANGIBLE THOUGHT envelope you. But it’s not.
CAPTION: Not until you EMBRACE it.

CAPTION: When you get there, your first sensation is of WEIGHTLESSNESS. And then you see it, just out of REACH.
CAPTION: It’s not really THERE, of course. It’s a visualization, meant to FOCUS YOUR WILL, like TAROT CARDS or CARVED RUNES, and it probably wouldn’t look the same for YOU as it does for me.

CAPTION: But it’s THERE, nonetheless – hovering just an ARM’S-LENGTH away – and until I surrender to it, I’m FREEZING.
CAPTION: I know that if only I can GET to it, my strength will RETURN.

CAPTION: To what it WAS, and TEN-FOLD.

PAGE THREE

1/ Another full page image as Rhiannon spins in the void and wraps around to approach the orb from below, enveloping it in her hands like a fragile ceramic heirloom. Her hair flows freely here, suspended in mid-air as though she were floating in space. Her eyes go wide with awe as she touches it. Inset are two smaller panels, floating amid the void. The first is a close up of the orb, now held gingerly in Rhiannon’s hands. From somewhere deep in its very center, to orb slowly begins to glow more brightly. The second is of Rhiannon, holding the orb out in front of her and looking reverently into the increasing glow, her face lit by the power of the orb.

CAPTION: It is believed, by some, that there will come a day when this world is no longer OFF-LIMITS.
CAPTION: When people like MILO or MYSELF will no longer be members of a PRIVATE CLUB, and all men, women and children will know the experience of moving outside this physical plane to traverse the realm of HUMAN THOUGHT, human EMOTION.

CAPTION: They call it the NOOSPHERE.
CAPTION: The next stage of HUMAN EVOLUTION, wherein the word ESOTERIC will have no meaning, and PSYCHIC PHENOMENON will be commonplace.

CAPTION: First came the HEAVENS and the EARTH: The GEOSPHERE.
CAPTION: Then came LIFE, in all its forms. The BIOSPHERE. The foundation upon which all SENTIENCE is built.
CAPTION: The NOOSPHERE…that next and possibly FINAL stage of life before EARTH is no longer enough for us. The ERA of TRANSCENDENCE.

CAPTION: Glorious, they say it will be.
CAPTION: Carl Jung and his COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS, seen through to its ultimate iteration: the collective CONSCIOUSNESS.
CAPTION: No need for anyone to experience LONLINESS, ever again.
CAPTION: But we aren’t ready YET.

PAGE FOUR

1/ Another full page panel, but this time the insets come first, setting up the splash. Inset One shows the orb, resting in Rhiannon’s palm, as the light from inside begins to bust outward into the void, a field of electricity and otherworldly energy surrounding Rhiannon’s hand and creeping up her arm as the light shines outward around her. Inset Two shows Rhiannon, looking on with reverence still, as the orb floats up from her palm and hovers before her, the light radiating ever more aggressively and bathing her in its power. She tilts her hand this way and that, letting the energy seep into her and enjoying the sensation. Finally, the splash, as Rhiannon surrenders fully to the orb. Her arms and legs hang out behind her, like a skydiver in free-fall, and she looks upward with her eyes closed in prayer. The orb, hovering in front of her, lets loose in full force, the light shining all around her in a beautiful explosion.

CAPTION: Maybe, someday, all of MANKIND will embrace the NOOSPHERE.

CAPTION: People the world over will reach out with their minds, set aside the petty differences that keep us apart, and move FORWARD into the future with a common goal – UNITED in the purpose of seeking out our FULL POTENTIAL.
CAPTION: What need for CONFLICT that exists inside us, whatever fundamental CATCH-22 of human nature that limits out spurts of growth to a byproduct of TRAGEDY, will become EXTERNALIZED, and we – as a SPECIES – will function, at long last, as a cohesive UNIT.

CAPTION: But, until that day comes…

CAPTION: There is nothing more ISOLATING that being connected to EVERYTHING.

PAGE FIVE

1/ Cut to a full page splash, featuring Titles, Credits, and Indicia, as Rhiannon, now kneeling on the wrecked floor of Mud House, lets loose an enormous blast of Kinetic Energy. As the blast escapes from her outstretched hands, she looks up, gritting her teeth in concentration at her targets: a wolfed-out Beth and a Demon-possessed Donovan, clashing in midair in violent conflict. As Rhiannon’s energy, depicted as a field of electricity, hits them, they reel in pain. Both figures convulse with electric shock, and the charged situation kicks up dust and debris from the floor all around them.

CAPTION: (NARR) Mud House.

SOUND-EFFECT: FSHHAK!!!

RHI: BACK OFF!

PAGE SIX

1/ Donovan, struck by the blast, flies backward, his arms outstretched.

DON: Uhnn!

2/ Angle-switch as Donovan smacks into a wall, shattering the boards and disappearing into the workings of the ancient house.

SOUND-EFFECT: CRASHH!

3/ Beth the Werewolf, also thrown by the blast, lands deftly and gracefully, striking an attack pose the moment she hits the ground. Dust flies up everywhere around her massive paws, and drool drips from her jaws.

BETH: (monstrous balloon) Rarr!

4/ Perspective shot, extremely close on a terrified Rhiannon as Donovan climbs out of the wreckage in the BG, dusting himself off.

DON: Cute, girl.
DON: But it won’t be that easy.

RHI: (small font) Jesus.

5/ Large panel as Milo jumps in front of the approaching Donovan, flaming hands bared for combat and crackling more intensely than ever. The tassels on his firebird hoody flip with the sudden motion, and Milo’s single chunk of blue hair hangs into his intense, battle-hungry eyes. This should be a hardcore superhero action pose, as Donovan sticks his head into the far left side of the panel to confront his new assailant.

MILO: Hold it, DOUCHEBAG.
MILO: In case you FORGOT, there’s a real SITUATION going on here. If you’re that hard-up for ATTENTION, then you’re gonna have to tussle with ME. Free up the others to point TEEN-WOLF at the POLTERGEIST.

DON: You want a fight, Woodyard?
DON: I’ll give you a fight.

PAGE SEVEN

1/ Rhiannon scrambles to her feet, her hands still steaming from the electric shock. Behind her, Mary appears, looming over for an attack with arms spread wide. Rhiannon doesn’t see her.

RHI: Not the BEST first mission ever, no.

2/ Andrew, pulling himself out of his OWN pile of wreckage, shouts to Rhiannon, his neck muscles bulging.

ANDREW: RHIANNON! LOOK OUT!

3/ Long panel as Rhiannon spins on a dime, firing off an energy blast into Mary’s gut. The poltergeist goes flying off panel.

SOUND-EFFECT: CHOOM

RHI: On it.

4/ Close on Rhiannon, as she smiles at her own smoldering hand.

RHI: Have to admit, though.
RHI: I’m digging the SUPER-HERO thing.

5/ Rhiannon is batted away like a rag doll as Beth appears, leaping out of nowhere to attack Andrew, who instinctively reaches out to protect himself in a useless gesture of raised hands.

RHI: oof!
BETH: Raarrgh!!

PAGE EIGHT

1/ low-angle as Rhiannon lands with her back to a wall, in the sitting position. Mary swoops into the panel, baring down on her with a terrifying grin and exposed claw-like hands. Rhiannon pulls back against the wall, trying to get away.

MARY: You’ve ruined EVERYTHING!

RHI: You again?

2/ Close on Rhiannon. She glares up challengingly into Mary’s eyes.

RHI: Don’t you know I’m a psychic CELEBRITY?
RHI: Maybe you’ve heard of me.

3/ Long panel as Mary lunges in for attack. She is abruptly and violently deterred by Rhiannon, as she casts an energy field between them, causing Mary to smack into it, face first, like a plate of glass. The field flashes with the impact and a bead of sweat forms on Rhiannon’s forehead as she struggles to maintain the field, waving her palm before her own face and grimacing.

SOUND-EFFECT: Chackk!

RHI: They call me the CONDUIT.

4/ Rhiannon pulls her hands back and prepares to strike, posing as though she’s doing tai chi. As she does, a small point of light forms in mid-air between her rigidly contorted hands. As she speaks, she stands slightly, using the wall for support.

RHI: Apparently, I’ve got quite a REPUTATION.

5/ Highly energetic shot, seen with Rhiannon in the distance, as she hurls the point of light forward like a weapon. Mary is thrown backward, toward us and approaching being thrown off-panel. The floor-boards rip to shreds, flying this way and that, caught in the blast as Mary is propelled away.

SOUND-EFFECT: Thunk thunk thunk thunk

RHI: Maybe you should get out more.

PAGE NINE

1/ Long panel as Milo and Donovan are locked in battle. They both fly through the air, going opposite directions. Milo, leaping to the right with his back to us, fires a blast of flame from his outstretched hand, steadying his fall with his right arm. Donovan, leaping to the left, catches the flame and bounces it off his own hand, graceful as a ballet dancer.

SOUND EFFECT: FOOSH

DON: Nice try, Milo, but this is a NEW BREED of Donovan you’re dealing with.
DON: And HE’S not the one in CONTROL anymore.

2/ Milo lands on the ground, his legs drawn up toward him. He shakes his head in disbelief, recovering from the shock of everything that’s happened in the past hour or so.

MILO: Jesus, Man!
MILO: What did you DO to yourself?

3/ Donovan swaggers toward Milo, his hand smoking from the flame he caught. He grins wickedly, holding the charred hand up for display.

DON: I made this worthless man MATTER!
DON: LOOK at what this body can DO now, Milo! This is an IMPROVEMENT!

4/ Close on Donovan, his evil grin turning to a sneer.

DON: And I intend to STAY.

5/ Donovan leaps forward, throwing a punch toward Milo’s exposed groin. Milo scoots backward just in time, narrowly escaping the devastating strike that shatters the floor-boards beneath.

MILO: Gyah!
MILO: Too close! Too close!

PAGE TEN

1/ Andrew stands with his arms held out in defense, posed to tame a lion, as Beth approaches. She creeps her way in from the right side of the panel, and only her jaws are shown, dripping saliva.

ANDREW: Beth!
ANDREW: Beth, I need you to LISTEN to me. It’s me.
ANDREW: It’s ANDREW.

BETH: Grrr….

2/ Beth lunges forward, slamming her jaws together to tear Andrew to pieces, but he manages to jump to the side just in time. He remains by her side, careful of her next attack, slowly and hesitantly reaching his hand out to touch her.
BETH: Arr!

SOUND EFFECT: CHOMP

ANDREW: WHOA, Beth.
ANDREW: Come on, now. You don’t wanna hurt ME.

3/ Long panel as Andrew reaches out, putting his fear aside. He touches her nose gently, bringing his other hand in to carefully pet the top of her furry snout. Beth calms slightly, her mouth hanging open a bit as she enjoys the sensation on her fur.

ANDREW: THERE we go, Beth.
ANDREW: Calm now. Stay calm.

BETH: Rrrrrrr….

ANDREW: Oh, I know. I know.
ANDREW: Been a long time since you’ve fully TURNED. Not used to it. I know. But you know you can CONTROL this, you’re just overwhelmed.
ANDREW: I’ve SEEN you control this, Beth, and that’s what we NEED right now.

4/ Beth relaxes completely, and Andrew embraces the huge, breathing behemoth. He lays his head against the fur of her torso, still stroking her wet nose and speaking in soothing tones. He closes his eyes as he listens to her massive heartbeat.

ANDREW: Okay. Good girl, Beth. All better now.
ANDREW: Now, I know you still don’t have it all together, but I need you to remember something for me, okay? I need you to remember why we’re here, okay?

BETH: Purr purr purr

ANDREW: That’s RIGHT. Stay in CONTROL now, Beth.
ANDREW: I want you to remember that we came here for a REASON, okay? There’s a great big angry POLTERGEIST over there beating up on RHIANNON, and that poltergeist has done some VERY BAD THINGS in this house, Beth.
ANDREW: So I need you to do me a FAVOR, okay? Can you do that?

BETH: Rrrrr.


5/ Close on Andrew’s mouth, next to Beth’s furry ear, as he whispers:

ANDREW: Go get the bitch.

PAGE ELEVEN

1/ Rhiannon braces herself against a wall, sparks of energy flying from her hands, as Mary descends upon her. She is losing the ground she had established against the poltergeist, and she looks terrified.

SOUND EFFECT: CHOOM CHOOM

RHI: Guys?
RHI: Little HELP here?!
RHI: Why am I fighting the big angry monster ALONE?!

2/ Rhiannon gives up and tries to crawl away, desperately scrambling on all fours. Mary swoops overhead, poised to strike.

RHI: Can’t keep this up much LONGER…
RHI: Need to get out…

OFF-PANEL: (monstrous balloon) RARRR!

3/ Long panel as Beth leaps into confrontation with Mary, striking an attack dog pose. Mary turns to face her, furious. In the BG, Rhiannon presses herself against the wall, trying desperately to find some safe vantage point.

RHI:…or I suppose we could do THAT.

MARY: You CHALLENGE me?! An overgrown PUP!?

BETH: RAAARHHH!

4/ Milo punches Donovan in the face, causing Donovan to momentarily spin backward. His free hand smolders once again with flame.

SOUND-EFFECT: Thok!

5/ Close on Milo, as he turns his head to shout for Rhiannon. The flame from his off-panel hands creeps up into the panel, casting an orange light over his face.

MILO: RHIANNON!
MILO: You’re the TOUCHY-FEELY emotional crap EXPERT! Get OVER HERE!

PAGE TWELVE

1/ Rhiannon turns her attention to the duel between Milo and Donovan, and fires a blast of energy from her hand in their direction.

RHI: DONOVAN! STOP!

SOUND-EFFECT: CHOOM

2/ Milo shields his face as the blast strikes Donovan square in the chest. Donovan flies backward, knocked off balance, and the fight between he and Milo is effectively put to an abrupt end.

MILO: Jeez!

SOUND-EFFECT: CHOOM

3/ Rhiannon rushes over to Donovan, lying in a crumpled pile amidst the ruins of Mud House. She reaches down to check on him, shouting over her shoulder to Milo.

RHI: Sorry, Donovan.

RHI: Milo!
RHI: How’s it GOING over there?!

4/ large panel as Beth and Mary fight, Beth swatting at the poltergeist and sending her flying. Mary twists through the air, face contorted in pain.

SOUND EFFECT: SMACKK

5/ Milo looks back over his shoulder toward Rhiannon.

MILO: WELL.
MILO: I’d say it’s going WELL.

6/ Rhiannon turns her attention to Donovan, struggling to climb to his feet. She reaches out and puts her hand on his face, pleading with him.

RHI: Donovan, I know you’re IN THERE, and I need you to LISTEN to me.
RHI: This THING, this OZYMANDIAS…I know you think it’s got you BEAT. I know you think you’re WEAK, and that doing this would make you STRONGER, and you’re RIGHT – it DID make you physically stronger. But that’s not the kind of strength you NEED right now.
RHI: If you’re gonna SURVIVE this, if you’re gonna CONTROL it, you need some serious strength of WILL-POWER right now, and I know that’s something you’re not sure you even HAVE.

7/ Close on Rhiannon, beseeching.

RHI: But I’ve looked INSIDE you, Donovan, and I’m telling you…
RHI: You have strength of CHARACTER like nothing I’ve ever seen. You’re insecure, you’re scared, and you’re not sure what it is that you really WANT, but what you have plenty of is DETERMINATION. You’re a GOOD MAN, Donovan. You could be a GREAT MAN, and I know you WANT to be…so right now, I need you to BE that great man, and rise ABOVE this.
RHI: Can you do that for me?

PAGE THIRTEEN

1/ Long panel as Andrew stands with his arms folded, watching the fight play out between Beth and Mary. Milo joins him, dusting himself off and watching the events unfold around them, as well. All the action goes on off-panel, and all we see is the two of them, watching the tableaux together, looking interested but exhausted.

ANDREW: Milo.

MILO: Andrew. How are things on YOUR side of the battle?

ANDREW: Looks like BETH has this on LOCKDOWN at the moment. Feeling kind of USELESS, to be honest. You?

MILO: Rhiannon’s doing her THING, with Donovan over there. Taking a breather, myself. It’s not bad. I think I smoke too much for this.

ANDREW: Nice.

2/ Rhiannon leans in close, and whispers something unheard into Donovan’s ear. Donovan’s eyes go wide and he begins to climb to his feet.

RHI: ….

3/ Milo and Andrew watch, intrigued.

ANDREW: What did she SAY to him?

MILO: No idea, but I think it’s about to get INTERESTING.

4/ Donovan gets up from the floor, his focus shifting to the battle across the room. Rhiannon holds him by the shoulder, encouraging him.

RHI: Thataboy, Donovan.
RHI: Let’s wrap this UP.

5/ Long panel as Donovan confronts Mary, he striking an attack pose and she reeling back with laughter.

MARY: Ha! The man with the DEMON inside him.
MARY: You’ve come to PLAY?

DON: I’ve come to put a stop to this, Mary.
DON: Once and for ALL.

MARY: Who do you think you ARE?!

DON: I think I’m one of the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, Mary. And I think I’m about to kick your poltergeist ASS.

PAGE FOURTEEN

1/ Tall panel as Donovan reaches out, trying to grab Mary by the throat. She laughs.

MARY: Boastful, CHILD. Very boastful.
MARY: Who are you trying to CONVINCE?

DON: YOU.

2/ Don gets his hand wrapped around her ethereal throat, pulls his other hand back as though he’s about to throw a punch, but he doesn’t. His hand begins to glow and crackle with energy, and his eyes light up with a tiffany-blue, otherworldly light.

DON: THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELLS YOU!
DON: I SHALL CONFRONT AND EXPEL ALL EVIL!

3/ Mary begins to scream, writhing to escape from his grip.

MARY: NO! NO! DAMN YOU!

DON: I SHALL CONFRONT AND EXPEL ALL EVIL!
DON: OUT OF MARROW AND BONE, OUT OF HOUSE AND HOME!

4/ Long panel, as Donovan continues the incantation, and the energy buildup becomes so strong that it sends the two flying away from each other in a blinding flash of light.

DON: NEVER TO COME HERE AGAI –

SOUND-EFFECT: KRAKA-DOOM

PAGE FIFTEEN

1/ Mary flies backward through the air, striking the spot where the rest of the team stands watching. She crashes through the wall, and sends the team mates scattering about in a violent eruption of splintered wood.

SOUND-EFFECT: KRASH

2/ Mary climbs out of the shattered woodwork, only to be cast in shadow as someone approaches to confront her.

MARY: Who…?

3/ Close on Beth, growling at Mary as she traps her in.

BETH: (monster balloon) Where do you think YOU’RE going?

4/ Donovan continues his chant, looking on intensely and waving his hands around magically as Beth and Mary fight off-panel, casting their clashing shadows over him as he does his thing.

DON: I SHALL CONFRONT AND EXPEL ALL EVIL!
DON: OUT OF MARROW AND BONE, OUT OF HOUSE AND HOME!
DON: NEVER TO COME HERE AGAIN!

5/ Beth pins Mary to the floor, saliva dripping from her massive jaws. Mary looks up in terror, realizing that she’s finally been beaten.

BETH: Say goodnight, BLOODY MARY.

MARY: You’re FOOLS! The LOT of you!

6/ Donovan walks forward, his hand outstretched like a gun as it shoots forth bright magical energy. His eyes continue to glow as he says the incantation one last time.

DON: I shall confront and expel ALL evil…
DON: Out of MARROW and BONE, out of HOUSE and HOME.

DON:…never to come here AGAIN.

PAGE SIXTEEN

1/ Long panel as Donovan and Beth stand over the withering ethereal body of Bloody Mary, now collapsed to the floor in utter defeat. Donovan’s hand steams from the magical expenditure, and Beth drools slightly, grinning like a happy dog.

DON: Good job, Beth.

BETH: Good job, Donovan.

2/ Mary crawls toward them on the floor, contorted into an unnatural position, gasping for life and finding none. Her body is slowly starting to fade away, it’s edges turning into a fine dust that fades upward into a breeze.

MARY: It wasn’t…supposed to BE like this…
MARY: Didn’t think it would…end like…

MARY: ::cough::
MARY: FOOLS. You’ll see….

3/ Her head drops down to the floor, tilted sideways and looking us right in the eye. Her eyes go wide with the horrid realization that after over a century, she’s about to fade out of existence for good.

MARY: You have no idea…what AWAITS you…
MARY: Your destiny…if such a THING exists…is written on your SOULS.

MARY: ESPECIALLY…especially YOU.

MARY: What is…the world?

4/ Finally, Mary’s body turn completely to dust, fading off into nothing. Only a trail of smoke is left where once she clung to life, leaving a patch of slightly charred floor.

SOUND-EFFECT: poof

PAGE SEVENTEEN

1/ Cut to a Long panel exterior of Mud House, mere minutes later. It is still late at night, the same day as the last two issues. Mud House stands like a sentry in the night, towering over the team as they return to the cars, idling in the driveway. Large chunks of the house are now missing that weren’t before, damaged in the battle. On the side of the first car closest to the house stand Milo, Andrew, and Beth – now reverted to human form with a long brown coat pulled tightly around her naked body. She wears thick winter boots, and prances a little as she freezes in the snow and cold. On the opposite side stand Rhiannon and Donovan, now fully composed, with Ozymandias under control. Donovan looks away from the group, off into the night.

RHI: What the hell does THAT mean?

2/ Rhiannon shrugs in confusion, lit by the car lights bouncing off the snow.

RHI: She didn’t think it would end like WHAT?
RHI: She was a murderess. How could it have ended any differently?

3/ Milo, Andrew and Beth face Rhiannon, on the other side of the car.
MILO: It probably didn’t mean ANYTHING.
MILO: She was a crazed POLTERGEIST. Take anything she said with a grain of salt.

DON: (off panel) No.

4/ Donovan looks back over his shoulder. He is angry and embarrassed, trying to distance himself from the rest after his poor decisions have come out in the open.

DON: It means she was trying to LURE us here.
DON: She meant to TELL us something. Something important. But we turned it into a fight. We screwed it up.
DON: Just like we screwed everything ELSE up.

5/ Close on Andrew, annoyed.

ANDREW: She was KILLING people, Donovan.
ANDREW: I think we did the right THING here.

6/ Donovan turns slightly, locking eyes with Andrew.

DON: It was a mistake.
DON: This night is one big SERIES of mistakes.

7/ Milo, Andrew and Beth stare him down, Beth opening the car door and preparing to climb inside. She grips the roof of the car as Milo crosses his arms, angry at Donovan for projecting his guilt on the others.

BETH: You DID make a bad decision tonight, Don.
BETH: But we’ll deal with it any way we CAN.

8/ Rhiannon turns to speak to Donovan, but he has begun to walk away, heading out of the panel and off into the night.

RHI: Donovan, this isn’t over.
RHI: Everything’ll be okay, you’ll see…

RHI: Donovan?

9/ Donovan turns back over his shoulder, only slightly. He keeps his back to her. He is framed dramatically in the headlights of the car.

DON: Don’t follow me, Rhiannon.

CAPTION: (RHI) Isolation.
CAPTION: As necessary as it may sometimes seem, when it gets the BETTER of you...it’s more than you can BEAR.

PAGE EIGHTEEN

1/ Cut to a distant shot of Landon, standing in the dark living room of the Adams home, peeking out through a crack in the curtains. He is dressed for bed, but anxiously waiting.

CAPTION: (NARR) Bexley.

CAPTION: (RHI) It leaves you lying in wait for that MOMENT, that human CONNECTION that can put an end to the SILENCE.

2/ Closer now, with the cartoon werewolf cup in the immediate FG, sitting on an end table next to the couch. Landon still peeks through the window, seen in the BG of the coffee cup. From the cup, steam rises in plumes.

CAPTION: Though it may sometimes seem like a welcome RETREAT…

3/ Closer still, this time viewed from outside the window. Landon smiles slightly through the crack in the curtain in which we see his waiting face, as the front of the house is lit up by the approaching lights of Beth’s car, entering the driveway off-panel and coming to an abrupt halt.

SOUND EFFECT: Vroom
SOUND EFFECT: Screech

CAPTION:…it never fails to leave you in the DARK, grasping for the faintest glimmer of LIGHT to help you through.

4/ Medium distance on The foyer, as Beth enters and shuts the door behind her. She leans back against the door and looks up to the ceiling, reeling from the events of the long evening. She is now fully dressed, but still wrapped in the brown overcoat. She idly tosses her keys on the console table next to the door.

CAPTION: Sometimes, however, you find someone to SHARE it with.

5/ Somewhat closer on Landon as he leans against the archway from the foyer to the living room, arms crossed, with a big smile on his face.

LANDON: How did it GO?

CAPTION: When you DO, though it may still be ISOLATION, it becomes something different. Something WARMER and more ENRICHING.

6/ Upper-torso distance as Beth collapses into his arms, sharing a warm embrace and burying her head in his chest. He rests his head above hers, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her back. Her brown overcoat tumbles off around her.

BETH: Ups and downs, baby.
BETH: A lot of things went WRONG, but in the end, we got the BAD GUY.

CAPTION: When you have someone to SHARE your isolation with, it’s no longer that SINKING FEELING; cut off from life as you slip further and further away.

7/ Head and shoulders as Landon pulls back, looking her in the eye as he grabs her face in his hand.

LANDON: So you’re a HERO.

CAPTION: When you have someone to share you isolation with…

8/ Close on Beth lets her face sink into his cupped hand, closing her eyes sleepily.

BETH: I try.

9/ Extreme close up as they kiss, slow and longingly, as though they haven’t seen each other for years. This should complete the cycle of this page, each shot successively closer, from the initial alienating distance shot across the living room.

LANDON: Good enough.

CAPTION: …it’s the TWO OF YOU against the world.

PAGE NINETEEN

1/ Cut to a long-panel as Milo enters Chris’ hospital room, leaning on the doorway and knocking slightly. It is the next morning now, and early light shines vividly through the off-panel windows. Milo wears a blue Weezer shirt and little rubber bracelets, his hoody unzipped and hanging loosely off his shoulders, and he takes off his glasses as he enters.

CAPTION: (NARR) Grant Hospital. The next day.

SOUND EFFECT: knock knock

MILO: Chris?

CAPTION: Some kinds of isolation are SELF-IMPOSED.

2/ Chris turns away from the window, looking up at Milo as he enters. He looks like hell, his hair all in disarray and intravenous tubes sticking out of him left and right. His eyes are puffy from a very long nap.

CHRIS: Milo...you came BACK.
3/ Head and shoulders on Milo as he begins to cry, unable to look Chris in the face.

MILO: I can’t believe this is HAPPENING, Chris…

4/ Chris looks straight up toward the ceiling, sighing with exhaustion and exasperation. He closes his eyes tight, scratching idly at his IV tubes.

CHRIS: Yeah.
CHRIS: It’s weird.

5/ Milo approaches the bed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with an awkward glance to the door. He shoves his free hand into his pocket and tries to look casual, but in the end it all falls apart. He’s wracked with guilt, underneath it all.

MILO: I shouldn’t have…
MILO: It’s just that….
MILO: From day ONE, I’ve handled ALL of this so badly. From DAY. Freaking. ONE.

6/ Chris turns to face Milo, intrigued and a little saddened.

CHRIS: What are you saying?

7/ Milo puts his glasses back on and looks directly down at the floor, now completely averting his gaze from Chris’s direction. He barely moves his mouth as he speaks, he’s talking so quietly.

MILO: (small font) It’s my fault.
MILO: (small) I did this to you. And there’s nothing I can ever do to fix it.
MILO: I’ve never fully accepted responsibility for that.

CAPTION: But more often than not, our isolation is FORCED upon us in circumstances UNFORSEEN, or completely out of our CONTROL.

PAGE TWENTY

1/ Close on their hands, as Chris pulls Milo’s hand tightly into his own, giving it a squeeze.

CHRIS: Milo.
CHRIS: There’s no GUIDEBOOK for how to REACT in these situations. You just do the best you can, and hope it’s the right thing.

2/ Milo kneels by the side of the bed, not letting go of Chris’s hand.

MILO: If there WAS a guidebook, I can almost guarantee it wouldn’t say “give your boyfriend AIDS and then run off like a CHILD while he DEALS with the consequences of YOUR actions….”

CHRIS: Look at me.

3/ Chris looks Milo straight in the eye, intense and determined.

CHRIS: We did this TOGETHER.

4/ Milo looks away, not ready to be forgiven.

MILO: I need you to not be so FORGIVING.
MILO: You’re supposed to HATE me. I thought you DID hate me.
MILO: How is it that you can –

5/ It’s Chris’s turn to look away, saying what he never wanted to say, eyes closed.

CHRIS: Because a part of me still loves you.

6/ Milo stares at him, silent. Even. They can never be together again, Milo knows. He also knows that he doesn’t love Chris back, at least not in the same way. But he cares about him very deeply and chooses his words carefully.

7/ He rises up and walks to the other side of the bed, where he pulls up a blonde-wood chair and positions it next to Chris’s bed. Chris looks straight forward, ashamed.

MILO: Well, this time it’s gonna be DIFFERENT, Chris.

CAPTION: Even the most FORCED of exiles, however, can be risen ABOVE…

8/ Long panel as Milo sits on the chair, reaching out to take Chris’s hand as the two of them look at each other with honesty in their eyes for the first time in a long time.

MILO: This time, I’m not going ANYWHERE.

CAPTION: If only we can learn how to REACH OUT, when we need to most.

PAGE TWENTY-ONE

1/ Cut to Andrew, looking out the window of the Atlas Building Ward Room, the slatted blinds casting dark lines across the scene as the morning sun shines in. He wears a dress shirt and tie, getting ready to head up to the University, but had a phone call to make from the office, first. He is setting the phone back on the receiver as Rhiannon walks up behind him. Her goth girl makeup has returned, but she’s not dressed as intensely as we saw her in the earlier issues, already getting a bit more comfortable with the new people in her life. Just a simple t-shirt, black, over a thermal undershirt. The t-shirt reads “trunk fulla amps,” but it’s slightly concealed as she strikes her trademark pose, holding her left elbow in her right hand.

CAPTION: (NARR) The Atlas Building.

RHI: You talk to Detective Spacey, yet?
RHI: I’m sure he’ll want to know what went down at the HOUSE last night.

2/ Andrew continues to look out the window, his face a criss-cross pattern from the blinds. He stands with his arms folded, his gaze stern.

ANDREW: Haven’t been able to get a hold of him.
ANDREW: I’m actually a little CONCERNED about it.

RHI: (off panel) Oh-ho, another case for our intrepid team?

ANDREW: I don’t think so, really. He could be anywhere. Could just be asleep. I just have a weird feeling that something happened to him.
ANDREW: Can’t begin to imagine WHAT.

3/ Andrew turns to face her, and they converse in the increasing light, facing each other over the conference table littered with their notes from the night before.

ANDREW: I talked to Mister PALMER, by the way.
ANDREW: I had some concerns I wanted to address about how Spacey could’ve gotten our CONTACT INFORMATION. It’s a long and complicated story, because I JUST got off the phone with him, and the SHORT version is that we’re going PUBLIC.

RHI: What? How do you mean?

ANDREW: Well, our affiliation with the GOVERNMENT is still TOP-SECRET, but our existence as a team of PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS is going down as a matter of PUBLIC RECORD. We’re even putting our number in the PHONE BOOK.

RHI: You can’t be serious.

4/ Andrew strides quickly across the room, pulling the door to the office closed so that Rhiannon can see the new name printed on the frosted glass door. We don’t see it just yet, but we see him pulling the door halfway shut.

ANDREW: As a HEART-ATTACK.
ANDREW: And Milo even got his way with the NAME.

5/ Close on Rhiannon, baffled and skeptical.

RHI: We’re not ACTUALLY going with that, are we?
RHI: Like, at least tell me it’s TEMPORARY.

6/ Long panel, revealing the name on the door, and Rhiannon and Andrew on the other side, looking at it. Andrew smiles, amused, and Rhiannon shakes her head in disbelief. In bold black font, the door reads KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS: Paranormal Investigators.

ANDREW: No, ma’am. That’s US.

RHI: Wow.
RHI: We are TOTALLY gonna get sued over this.

ANDREW: Doubtful.

RHI: So if the OTHER Defense Initiative teams follow suit, I suppose that means we’re about to see a bunch of real-life SUPERHERO teams springing up all over the country?

ANDREW: Could BE. Exciting, isn’t it?

RHI: If you say so, Fearless Leader.

PAGE TWENTY-TWO

1/ Andrew turns to face her, changing the subject.

ANDREW: So, hey – has DONOVAN talked to you at all, yet?
ANDREW: You seemed like the person he’d be MOST LIKELY to come to.

2/ Rhiannon looks down, her disbelief turning to worry.

RHI: No, he hasn’t.
RHI: It’s got me kind of freaked out, even if I DO barely know him.
RHI: I mean, you can’t just abruptly JUMP from being so NAÏVE and PURE and whatever to suddenly carrying around the EMBODIMENT of EVIL, like that. Even if this experience WILL teach him something GOOD, it’s still…I mean, WOW, right?

RHI: He’s gonna need all the help he can GET.

3/ Rhiannon sticks her fingers between the window slats, looking out, as Andrew stands behind her and nods his assent.

ANDREW: I agree. It’s so METAPHORICAL it HURTS, isn’t it?
ANDREW: Can I make a suggestion, though?

RHI: Sure.

ANDREW: You should follow your own ADVICE.

4/ Rhiannon turns to face him over her shoulder, a little taken aback.

RHI: What do you mean?

5/ Andrew looks at her squarely. He’s not being offensive or condescending; he’s just telling it to her straight.

ANDREW: A lot of SECRETS came out between everybody over these first few days.
ANDREW: We all know a bit more ABOUT each other than we did on our first NIGHT here…except YOU.
ANDREW: Open up a little bit, Rhiannon. Make some friends here. Like you said…

ANDREW: We’re ALL gonna need all the help we can get.

6/ Rhiannon tries to retort, but comes up short.

RHI: Well, it’s just that…
RHI: Huhn.

7/ Andrew walks out the door, looking back over his shoulder at Rhiannon and throwing his coat over his back.

ANDREW: Just sayin’.

8/ Rhiannon stands alone in the office, looking non-plussed as she realizes he’s right.

PAGE TWENTY-THREE

1/ Cut to Milo, leaning on a cement ledge atop the City Center parking garage, overlooking the corner of Rich and High. The sun shines brightly, melting the snow on the ledge, as Milo dangles his hands over. From his left hand hangs a smoldering cigarette, wafting upward toward his face as he looks off into the distance. From behind, Rhiannon approaches, her arms folded tight against the cold.

CAPTION (NARR): Downtown.

RHI: Hey there, stranger. Come here often?

2/ Milo turns to greet her, arms wide in surprise.

MILO: Rhiannon!
MILO: How’d you find me up here?

RHI: I’ve got your SCENT now, buddy. You can run, but you can’t hide.
3/ Long panel as they both turn to face the city skyline, Milo gesturing at the expanse.

MILO: I actually DO come here pretty often. I dig the VIEW.

RHI: It’s nice. Odd hangout though; roof of a parking garage?

MILO: It’s just a little escape. People don’t come up here very often, and it’s a great place to CLEAR MY HEAD. Get away from being down there in the THICK of it.
MILO: What brings YOU to my little HAUNT?

2/ Another long panel, different angle, as they both stare ahead, into the city. Milo returns to his leaning while Rhiannon lights a cigarette of her own.

RHI: Had an UPDATE for you.

MILO: Oh? Another crazy poltergeist for us to do a semi-passable job of defeating?

RHI: Nothing like THAT.
RHI: I just got done talking to ANDREW. It seems we’re set to go PUBLIC, and drop the whole “we don’t officially exist” angle.

MILO: No way.

RHI: Way. And get this: we’re calling ourselves the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.

3/ Milo turns to face her abruptly, shocked.

MILO: Get out!
MILO: Are you SERIOUS?

4/ Rhiannon throws her head back in laughter as Milo looks on.

RHI: Ha! That’s exactly what I said.

PAGE TWENTY-FOUR

1/ Long panel, close on the two of them as Milo resumes his forward lean and takes a drag from his cigarette. Rhiannon stands slightly behind, smiling.

MILO: What a messed up few days this has been.

RHI: For real! We actually fought the ORIGINAL Bloody Mary!
RHI: And she was a POLTERGEIST!

MILO: I know, right?
MILO: And she was created by the murder of a reclusive ROYAL HEIRESS, living right here in CENTRAL OHIO, of all places.

2/ Milo counts off points on his fingers.

MILO: Then my ex winds up in the HOSPITAL. Then Donovan goes to HELL and comes back half-DEMON or whatever. Then BETH turns out to be a WEREWOLF. Then the poltergeist suggests we have some kind of FATE she wanted to warn us about.

MILO: It’s enough to blow your mind.

3/ Rhiannon leans on the ledge as Milo stiffens, suddenly becoming upset.

RHI: Seriously. Like, what next?

MILO: I wish that you didn’t have to see all that stuff with CHRIS, Rhiannon.
MILO: I’m sorry.

4/ Rhiannon looks at him for a moment without speaking. Milo pouts.

5/ Rhiannon looks away, down into the street below. Her hair hangs in front of her face.

RHI: Milo, if I had a dollar for every HORRIBLE MISTAKE I’ve ever made…
RHI: Stop beating yourself up over what’s done. Just do the right thing in the present.

6/ Milo looks at her, smiling slightly.

MILO: Can we arrange that dollar-per-mistake thing?
MILO: Because, seriously? If I had a dollar for all MY stupidity, I wouldn’t be living in a STUDIO over a BAR on the SHORT NORTH.

7/ Rhiannon nudges him, the two of them now joining each other in leaning on the ledge. He turns to her and laughs, breaking the uncomfortable moment.

RHI: Look. I know we’re just TEAM MATES or whatever NOW, but I would like to be MORE than that. You and me.

MILO: I’m afraid you’re barking up the wrong TREE, there, sweetie. I thought we had sufficiently COVERED that ground already.

RHI: I mean I’d like to be your FRIEND, Milo.

MILO: I don’t know…I’m not sure I can HANG with somebody who’s got a Catholic Priest’s NAME written all over her NOTEBOOK.

RHI: Shut up!

MILO: MRS. RHIANNON THATCHER…MRS. RHIANNON THATCHER…I HEART DONOVAN…HE IS THE CUTEST!

RHI: What.
RHI: Ever.

CAPTION: (RHI) So, it’s true.
CAPTION: No amount of isolation can last forever. In the end, the world is a SCARY place, and to get through it all, we’re going to need EACH OTHER.

PAGE TWENTY-FIVE

1/ Cut to a Tall panel, as Detective John Spacey sits alone in his apartment, wherever that may be. He wears only his underwear and socks underneath his long vintage overcoat, and his hair has not been taken care of since last we saw him. He has clearly been crying for hours, and he holds in his hands a shining revolver. He flips open the chamber and begins to load the gun, his hands shaking desperately. Scattered around his feet are empty pill bottles and a jug of cheap wine.

CAPTION: (NARR) Elsewhere.

CAPTION: (RHI) But sometimes, our quest for a connection turns AGAINST us.

SPACEY: (whithering, pathetic balloon) Cora…
SPACEY: I love you so much. I’ll be with you SOON.

2/ Close on John’s mouth as he places the barrel of the gun between his teeth.

CAPTION: And when it DOES…

3/ Closer still, riffing morbidly on the visual trick played by Landon and Beth, the zeroing in serving this time only to heighten the desperation of a lonely man, skewing the closeness implied by the zoom-in shared by the lovers in that scene. John begins to pull back the lock, his thumb jittering furiously.

CAPTION: …there’s no telling how DESPERATE we may become…

4/ Extreme close up on the trigger, as John begins to pull it back, the gun now shaking as violently as his hands.

CAPTION: …to bring the SILENCE to an END.

SOUND EFFECT: Knock knock

5/ Head and shoulders as John turns away from the gun, acknowledging the knock at the door. He holds the gun in place as he shouts, unsure of what to do.

SPACEY: HELLO?

6/ Pull back as John sits in his arm chair, the gun held awkwardly to his face as he gets no response. His body stiffens unnaturally, and we can see that while he was preparing to shoot himself, he wet his pants.

SPACEY: Who’s THERE?

7/ John walks furiously to the door, the gun held at his side.

SOUND EFFECT: Knock knock

SPACEY: I’m coming! Hold on!

8/ Close on the door chain, as he slides it aside.

9/ John swings open the door to see MALICE, the man whose disciples were seeking out the unusual psychic trace a few issues ago. Malice is dressed exactly the same, and he looks up toward John from his downcast face and wicked grin.

SPACEY: What do you - ?

MALICE: Boo.

PAGE TWENY-SIX

1/ Large panel as Malice forces his way into the room and sucker-punches John across the face. John takes a dive, crashing out of the panel to the floor.

MALICE: Mind if I come in?

2/ Long panel as John lays on the floor, the side of his face pressed into the carpet as he looks toward us, his eyes squinted tightly shut in pain. In the BG, we see several pairs of legs enter the room, all clad in dark pants and solid black boots.

MALICE: (off panel) Gentlemen.
MALICE: Make yourselves at HOME. I’m sure he’s got something to drink in the FRIDGE, so please do help yourself. Breaking and entering can be THIRSTY WORK.

3/ Long panel as John remains in the same position, eyes still closed. All sense of being a police officer has left him since he last graced our pages, and he is now a scared and broken man. A particular pair of boots, attached to the only RED pair of pants in the room, enters the panel, right next to his face.
SPACEY: What did I DO?
SPACEY: Who ARE you people? What IS this?

MALICE: (off panel) What a stupid question, Detective Spacey.

4/ A final long panel as Malice bends down into the shot. He pulls Spacey’s head up by the hair, forcing him to look off panel to the left as he gasps in pain. Malice leans in close next to Spacey’s ear, smiling broadly, and as he does he dangles a scorpion in front of Spacey’s face. The scorpion twitches.

MALICE: What is the WORLD?

CAPTION: END.